Dr Nancy Cushing

Meaty matters

Dr Nancy Cushing is an environmental historian who is examining the
underlying beliefs and aims that led, by the end of the colonial period, to a
typical Australian diet based around the heavy consumption of beef and mutton.

"One of the selling points of
coming to Australia during the colonial period to people in Britain was having
meat three times a day," explains Cushing.

"Australians in that period
ate more meat than almost any other country on earth per capita. The only one
that was ahead of Australia was Argentina. But, if you look at similar places,
culturally, such as Britain, they were maybe eating a quarter of the amount
Australians did."

Cushing says being a vegetarian
and an environmentalist made her start to think about the choices that are made
around the eating of meat – which has an impact on our fellow animals, and uses
enormous amounts of land and crops that could be used for direct consumption
and water.

"I also read about the
kangaroo cull – the hunting of kangaroos in Australia is the largest hunt of land-based
mammals in the world. Every year, millions of kangaroos are killed," said
Cushing.

"In Victoria, there is
currently a two-year trial of selling the culled kangaroos as pet food. Until
this year, the legislation said that the dead animals had to be buried. In
other parts of mainland Australia, those animals are collected, put into chiller
containers, butchered and the meat is used. Most of it goes for pet food.

"A lot of the kangaroo meat
is exported. So it is acceptable in other markets, in some cases as a cheap
filler meat for sausages, in others as a gourmet game meat. Until recently, a
lot of it went to Russia, as well as all over Europe, and an increasing market
is in China.

"Some kangaroo is consumed by
people in Australia – but it's extremely low amounts.

"One of my aims for this project is to go back to the
past and say: 'Was there a time when Australian's quite happily ate kangaroo
and how did that play out. Who was eating it, how were they preparing it, what
did people think of it, and – as it faded away – when and why?'

"There are lots of accounts from
the colonial period of how much people enjoyed kangaroo meat, that it was very
tasty, it was a luscious meat, it created a lovely gravy – so very positive
accounts of eating kangaroo.

"The question is then: when
we have beef in feed lots, emitting methane as they digest their food and
requiring huge amounts of water, why are we not eating the meat we have here
and reducing our environmental footprint?"

Cushing says she is
looking to test her idea that an anti-kangaroo push developed during the
colonial period, because there were vested interests in establishing sheep and
cattle.

If I can influence the debate around modern meat
eating choices, even a very small amount, I would like to try and do that – to
bring up the possibility of eating more kangaroo.

"The supply of provisions
within the colony was the first industry that was established here; the first
thing that created wealth and power," said Cushing.

"I think, potentially, there
was a campaign against eating kangaroo, and we can see that in Tasmania, for
example, where the government regulated the ownership of kangaroo hunting dogs.

"As long as people can live
outside of the cash economy – eating bush meat and gathering and so on –
they're independent of the state and of the whole economic system."

Cushing's project, which is
supported by a Merewether Scholarship from the State Library of New South
Wales, is the first step in a larger undertaking, in which she hopes to extend her
research up to the present, looking at Australians' preference for a narrow
range of meats and suggesting that a more diverse diet could be healthier for
individuals and the planet.

"If I can influence the
debate around modern meat eating choices, even a very small amount, I would
like to try to do that – to bring up the possibility of eating more kangaroo,"
she said.

"There are people in
Australia who are 'kangatarian' – who will only eat kangaroo meat, because it's
not farmed. They haven't been bred, they haven't been kept in captivity, it's
just one shot and that's their only interaction with people – so they see
eating kangaroo as an ethical choice.

"However, the conditions
under which kangaroos are killed are debated as inhumane, that the way the meat
is handled may be unhealthy, and that they may have parasites.

"So I'm not saying that this
is a perfect solution, but I think it's something we should think about as part
of a bigger picture; about how we are interacting with other animals."

Career Summary

Biography

Dr Nancy Cushing is a Senior Lecturer in Australian history in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle, based at the Ourimbah Campus. Her primary research area is Australian environmental history, in particular human animal relations, with a secondary interest in the history of Newcastle.

Cushing brings an immigrant's perspective to the Australian past seeking to understand why and how particular cultural forms emerged. In these investigations, she places importance on the relationship between non-Indigenous Australians and the natural environment. Her current project, funded by a Merewether Scholarship from the State Library of NSW, examines choices about meat eating in colonial Australia from this human animal relations perspective. Past projects have included work on Australian beach cultures, the fight against air pollution in Newcastle and the range of relations between humans and other animals in Australia, from pet keeping to captive animal displays.

Her 2010 book, coauthored with Kevin Markwell, Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park, traced the life and work of early celebrity naturalist Eric Worrell, placing his own adventures in the context of contemporary attitudes towards Australian wildlife, especially the generally disparaged reptiles. The book charts important shifts in the second half of the twentieth century as the status of Australian native animals was transformed from curiosity or unwanted pest to icon.

Another research strand is the history of Newcastle. Curiosity about the gulf between her own experience of Newcastle as a pleasant beachside city and the prevailing national stereotype of it as heavily polluted and relentlessly industrial inspired Cushing's 1995 thesis "Creating the Coalopolis: Perceptions of Newcastle 1770 - 1935." Ongoing interest in the history of Newcastle has led to projects on beaches and surf lifesaving, including a chapter in the centenary history of surf life saving, and on air pollution in Newcastle. Cushing is a founder with Julie MacIntyre of the Newcastle Hunter Studies group which holds an annual symposium in conjunction with Newcastle Art Gallery and co editor, with James Bennett and Erik Eklund, of the collection Radical Newcastle, to be published by New South Press in 2015.

Nancy Cushing is Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Arts and BA (Hons). She was Deputy Dean of Students for the Ourimbah and Sydney Campuses from 2008 to 2011. She is a member of the NSW Working Party for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and of the executive council of the NSW History Council.

Research ExpertiseMy field is Australian environmental history, in particular human animal relations. My PhD treated the history of Newcastle and I maintain an interest in local and urban history expressed in ongoing research into the history of air quality in the city undertaken with Assoc. Professor Howard Bridgman; and co editorship with James Bennett and Erik Eklund (Federation University) of the Radical Newcastle collection, to be published in 2015. I have co written a number of pieces on human animal relations with Associate Professor Kevin Markwick of Southern Cross University including our 2010 book, Snake-bitten: Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park (UNSW Press). Currently, my main project brings together interests in human animal relations and food studies by examining choices around meat eating in colonial Australia. I have supervised a number of theses at the Masters and Doctoral level. Completed topics include - memorials to the Blue Mountains explorers - diet in the early Sydney settlement - historic houses on the Central Coast - the James Fletcher site in Newcastle My current supervisions include: - the impact of early governors on planning in NSW - a history of missions to seamen in British colonial ports in the later nineteen century - the role of the Newcastle industrial hub in the 1930s and 40s - preparations for WWII in NSW - the role and impact of the University of Newcastle's Open Foundation Program - a history of the squatting movement in Sydney's Glebe in the 1970s - the women's movement in Newcastle in the 1970s and 80s - the operation of community amongst coal miners in the late twentieth century

Teaching ExpertiseMy teaching is in the area of Australian cultural and environmental history. I enjoy the challenge of introducing up to 300 first year students to the fascinating history of Australia each year in HIST1051, the Australian Experience. At upper level, I offer a number of courses which reflect my own research interests, on Australian cities, environmental history and history and heritage. For honours studies, I provide a special study on imaginings of the 1950s in Australia.

Administrative ExpertiseI am the program convenor for the Bachelor of Arts and BA (Hons). The BA is a large program with over 1000 students enrolled in our fifteen major areas of study. As program convenor, I welcome students each year and offer ongoing advice on their degree, making general announcements and responding to individual queries. I am responsible for ensuring that the degree conforms to the requirements of AQF level 7 and that all students are supported to fully engage in the degree. As convenor of the School's largest program, I am a member of the School's Teaching and Learning committee and work closely with the Deputy Head of School (Teaching and Learning). I take on associated roles such as mentor to other staff members within the University's management system and coordinator of the School's Open Day film fest. In the past, I have served as Deputy Dean of Students for the Ourimbah and Sydney Campuses and the Honours convenor for the School at the Ourimbah Campus. I am a member of the Australian Historical Association, and sit on the NSW working party for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and the NSW History Council.

CollaborationsResearch Nancy's research interests lie in the fields of cultural and environmental history and food studies. These range from aspects of the history of Newcastle, including its long battle against poor air quality, to the nature of relations between humans and Australian animals in a variety of contexts: captive animal displays, entertainment, pet keeping and consumption. She published a book with Assoc. Professor Kevin Markwell of Southern Cross University in 2010 entitled, Snake-bitten: Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park (UNSW Press). She currently has in production a collection of works on Radical Newcastle, co edited with her colleague James Bennett and Professor Erik Eklund of Federation University. This book is the result of several years of collaboration by 30 contributors from within and outside the academy and will be a valuable contribution to Newcastle historiography. Another project is a special issue of the Journal of Australian Colonial History on Newcastle and the Hunter Region, to be co edited with DrsJulie Macintyre and David Roberts of UNE. Nancy's current research project, funded by the State Library of NSW's 2013 Merewether Scholarship, is a history of meat eating in colonial Australia which will be published as a monograph in 2016.

Qualifications

PhD, University of Newcastle

Bachelor of Arts (Honours)(History), Dalhousie University - Canada

Master of Museum Studies, University of Toronto

Keywords

Air Pollution

Australian cultural history

Environmental History

Food studies

Heritage studies

Human/Animal Relations

Newcastle

Urban history

Fields of Research

Code

Description

Percentage

210303

Australian History (excl. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History)

80

210399

Historical Studies not elsewhere classified

20

Professional Experience

UON Appointment

Title

Organisation / Department

Senior Lecturer

University of NewcastleSchool of Humanities and Social ScienceAustralia

Academic appointment

Dates

Title

Organisation / Department

1/01/2011 -

Senior Lecturer

University of NewcastleSchool of Education and ArtsAustralia

1/09/2003 - 1/12/2005

Editor of Exhibition Reviews

History AustraliaAustralia

1/01/2000 - 1/12/2010

Lecturer

History

University of NewcastleSchool of Humanities and Social ScienceAustralia

1/06/1995 - 1/12/1999

Associate Lecturer

University of NewcastleFaculty of the Central Coast- HistoryAustralia

Membership

Dates

Title

Organisation / Department

Member - Australian Dictionary of Biography NSW Working Party

Australian Dictionary of Biography Australia

Member - Australian Historical Association

Australian Historical AssociationAustralia

Invitations

Participant

Year

Title / Rationale

2008

The Voyage of the Platypus, 1947: The Role of the Naturalist in International DiplomacyCushing, Nancy and Kevin Markwell, The Voyage of the Platypus, 1947: The Role of the Naturalist in International Diplomacy, Australian Historical Association Conference, Melbourne, July 2008.

2006

The Song of the Snake: Eric Worrell and the Environmental Sensibilities of the 1950sOrganisation: Australian Historical Association Biennial Conference
Description:
The Song of the Snake: Eric Worrell and the Environmental Sensibilities of the 1950s, Australian Historical Association Biennial Conference, Canberra, July 2006.

Cushing NE, Huntsman L, 'A National Icon: Surf lifesaving and Australian society and culture', Between the Flags: one hundred summers of Australian surf lifesaving, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney 1-21 (2006) [B1]

Cushing NE, Markwell KW, 'The Voyage of the Platypus, 1947: The role of the naturalist in international diplomacy', Locating History. Australian Historical Association Biennial Conference. Abstracts, Melbourne, VIC (2008) [E3]

Research Supervision

Current Supervision

An investigation of pleasure and romantic love in mid-century Australia, through conventions and prescriptions as well as individual responsesHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

2014

The women's movement in Newcastle in the 1970s and 1980s through the lens of Josephine Conway's archivesHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

2013

Australian Urban Squatters of the 1970's: Establishing and Living a Radical Lifestyle in Suburban Sydney.History, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2013

The Making of the Newcastle Industrial Hub 1930-1945: Economic Depression, War and Newcastle's Industrial RevolutionHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2013

Early Seamen's Missions in the British WorldHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

2010

Possession, Planning and Control: Imperial and Early Australian Land Policies as a Cornerstone of New South Wales HistoryHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2009

Memory, Work and Community at TeralbaHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

2008

Military and Civil Defence Planning in South-Eastern Australia, 1932-1945History, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

2008

The History and Impacts of the Open Foundation Program on the Hunter and Central Coast RegionsHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

2007

Convicts to Cultural ConvictionHistory, University of AdelaideSole Supervisor

Past Supervision

Year

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2014

"...here is an Asylum open..."
Constructing a Culture of Government Care in Australia 1801 - 2014History, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2007

Do Historic Houses Have a Future? An Exploration of the Factors Which Contribute to or Detract From the Recognition, Appreciation and Formal Heritage Protection of Historic Houses in the Central Coast RegionStudies In Human Society, Faculty of Education and ArtsSole Supervisor

2004

Founding Fathers and Foundering Myths: Monuments to Explorers in the Blue Mountains New South WalesStudies In Human Society, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

Historians
Dr James Bennett and Dr
Nancy Cushing
from the University of Newcastle (UON), along with Dr Erik Eklund from
Federation University, VIC, bring together a selection of essays about
Newcastle's radical past, and consider its impact on the present and future.

Dr Nancy Cushing

Position

Senior LecturerSchool of Humanities and Social ScienceFaculty of Education and Arts